Stakeholders talk marijuana before outdoor grow season starts

Humboldt County Sheriff Mike Downey held a pre-season marijuana eradication meeting on Thursday to discuss the main issues the county will face this summer and to go over strategies with local stakeholders.

"I think we're going to continue to see an increase in cultivation based upon our overall lack of economic health in Humboldt County and the state of California," Downey said.

In a PowerPoint presentation, Downey identified increased enforcement, federal assistance, increased prosecution and seizure, financial commitment from local agencies for eradication and arrest efforts as solutions to the problem.

Law enforcement agencies exterminate grow sites year-round, but the grow season intensifies mid-July through September -- when the outdoor grow season kicks off, Downey said.

The sheriff's office has identified 4,100 grow sites throughout the county. Typically, law enforcement is able to eradicate 50 or 60 of those each season.

"It's a daunting task for those of us tasked with dealing with this," sheriff's office Sgt. Bryan Quenell said.

One of the main issues discussed was the environmental impacts marijuana cultivation has on watersheds, local fisheries, algae bloom and endangered species, and how toxins, including rodenticides, are found at grow sites.

"One of the biggest concerns is what to do with the environment, what to do with the watersheds, how that impacts communities," said Tom LaNiver, a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program representative.